After being arrested by the "law", Teardrops' immediate response is belligerent and risky in nature. At that moment, “it seemed as if a scorched laugh burst out of Teardrop, and he threw the rifle into his lap, curled his finger on the trigger” (172). If Teardrop had gone further and fired a gun, it is likely that the officer would have shot him in self-defense. Teardrop was willing to endanger not only his life, but also that of 16-year-old Ree, to conform to the gender stereotype of hyper-masculinity that followed all men in Ozark. He had not attempted to reason with the police officer and did not even know whether reasoning was necessary before resorting to threats of violence. The expectation that male figures in Ozark would use violent actions as a means of conflict resolution prevents Teardrop from reaching his full potential due to the negative reputation this has given him. It is likely that if he had used words, instead of threatening to fire his guns, to resolve conflicts, he would have had better relations not only with the police but with all his